The Swiss railway infrastructure is being expanded with various large-scale expansion programmes, such as ZEB and the expansion steps 2025 and 2035. 

Expansion step 2025 includes about 60 expansion projects on the SBB network, costing around CHF 5.5 billion, and is being implemented in parallel with ZEB. Its implementation will provide passenger and freight customers with more frequent services. This involves completing the hub-and-spoke system, creating extra capacity for passenger services and providing train path capacity of a competitive quality (transport times, reliability, profiles) for freight services.

Expansion step 2025 will eliminate bottlenecks in the SBB and private railway system and increase capacity. This will enable rising demand for transport services to be met.

The federal decree on expansion step 2035 entered into force on 1 January 2020 and the 2025 service concept was replaced by the 2035 service concept (AK35). Expansion step 2025 projects aim to meet the 2025 service objectives which are also required for expansion step 2035 and have been incorporated into AK35. By the end of 2023, around 60% of the projects were under construction or in operation. 

The main projects in expansion step 2025 are:

• Increase in capacity in Geneva
• Expansion of capacity for Ligerz-Twann
• Expansion of the rail nodal point of Bern
• Expansion of Basel SBB railway station
• Double track expansion in the St. Gallen Rhine Valley
• 3rd platform Bellinzona-Giubiasco